It’s difficult to take a bad photo of Venice’s Grand Canal, but I certainly tried.
Exhibit A: Grey sky. No dominant point of interest. Big-ass crane in the distance.
Exhibit B: More grey sky. More big-ass crane. Plus gondolier butt.
And then … the sun slipped out to say hello.
Suddenly the whole city was picturesque!
Two gondoliers joined the slow flow of traffic. I pretended they were in a fight, stripey shirt vs. stripey shirt.
But then they became friends and floated along together.
And as my boat slipped underneath a bridge, the city was everything I ever imagined. Pastel buildings. Sherbet skies. Voluptuous, shimmery streets. A masterpiece of engineering and nerve, inspiring generations of poets and painters.
Then, just as quick as it began …
The moment disappeared.
I had many good minutes in Venice — and many great minutes throughout 2012 — but that one was perfection.